5 Stunning Delta Reign Pokemon Cards You’ll Actually Be Able to Pull at Launch
With the Pitch Black expansion out in the wild, Pokemon fans have a while to wait for our next influx of new cards. September will deliver the 30th Celebration special collection, but the next English-language Mega Evolution set doesn’t hit shelves until November. But even if Delta Reign is still several months off, we have a good idea of what to look forward to when it arrives. The full list of standard cards for the Japanese Storm Emeralda has been unveiled, and these cards should all make their way to the English-language Delta Reign.
The 76-card list, as cataloged on PokeBeach, highlights the cards in the main set, aka the common cards. That means that many of the rare full-art cards are still a mystery until Storm Emeralda‘s July 31st release in Japan. But as the Pitch Black Wailmer card has reminded us, even common cards can be worth collecting. Some of the designs from Storm Emeralda already have me excited for those easier pulls with Delta Reign when it arrives in the United States this November. Here are the five most exciting cards we’ve gotten to see so far.
5) Delicious Rice Balls
Is this card mostly on my list because of the infamous “jelly donuts” reference from the 90s anime dub? Yes, yes it is. Being baffled and a little bit annoyed at Brock calling rice balls jelly donuts is one of my core memories of growing up watching the Pokemon anime. And that means I can’t help but immediately want to add the Delicious Rice Balls card to my collection. Pokemon has a chance to do something amazing here and name the card Delicious Jelly Donuts in the English translation, though I doubt they will.
As far as the card itself goes, it’s a pretty standard Item card, though I will say the art makes the rice balls look delicious indeed. According to the helpful translation from PokeBeach, this card will let you heal 30 Damage from your active Pokemon. Better yet, you get to heal an additional 30 Damage for every Delicious Rice Balls card in your discard pile. So basically, you can stock up a feast and get some serious healing power. But even so, this is a chase card for the meme more than anything.
4) Drowzee
As a Gen 1 original, Drowzee has had its fair share of cards in the Pokemon TCG over the years. In fact, the new design that will debut with Storm Emeralda is its 22nd iteration. But it just might be my new favorite, because the art is somehow equal parts fun and unsettling. I think Drowzee gets overlooked compared to other Psychic types from Gen 1, so it’s nice to see it getting a new card in this set.
Drowzee’s most recent appearance in Destined Rivals was as Team Rocket’s Drowzee, so it was depicted in a pretty menacing pose. This new design doesn’t shy away from the creepy factor for Drowzee, but it’s also kind of adorable? It depicts Drowzee standing outside at night, looking over its shoulder at its ominous reflection. It’s a must-have for a Psychic-type deck in my opinion. And don’t worry, there’s a new Hypno to go right along with it.
3) Kecleon
Despite being around since Gen 3, Kecleon hasn’t had as many Pokemon cards as you might expect. It’s been featured in 14 unique designs over the years, with its debut during the dubious e-card era. The Chameleon Pokemon hasn’t had a new design since Journey Together, which released in early 2025. And personally? I think this is probably the best Kecleon artwork we’ve had for the TCG yet.
The card places Kecleon against a colorful jungle background, like many prior designs have done. But I’ve seldom seen this little guy looking so determined, and it’s a welcome change from some of the sillier card designs we’ve seen for this one. That alone makes it worth adding to your collection, especially if you’re a Kecleon fan. It’s no full art like the one in Surging Sparks, but it’s still pretty good.
2) Growlithe
If you happened to catch my coverage of Pokemon TCG Pocket‘s controversial Everyday Wonderse booster, this won’t be news to you. But friends, I love a puppy Pokemon. I’m pretty much delighted any time I come across one of the pups in the TCG, and this new Growlithe is no exception. The fire-type is one of the OG puppy Pokemon from Gen 1, but that doesn’t mean it can’t always use a little more love.
Between its Kantonian form and its Hisuian variant, Growlithe has appeared on 36 different Pokemon cards. And some of them are very cute. But the new look for Storm Emeralda, which will become our English Delta Reign, may be the best one yet. Growlithe is both cute and fierce as it takes a battle stance. I love how the Pokemon is up close and center on the card, yet you can still get a good look at its volcanic background. An absolute must-have for that puppy card binder I assume every fellow Pokemon fan also has.
1) Nidoran
If you love the clay and crochet cards as much as I do, this one is a must-have coming with Delta Reign. Because while it might look like a typical Nidoran card at first glance, it’s actually a fully embroidered card. It’s the official Pokemon TCG debut of tayu, a new artist using a multimedia approach to illustrate Pokemon cards. They were a runner-up in the Pokemon TCG illustration contest back in 2024, and this Nidoran is their first official Pokemon card design.
Creative cards like these are always popular, and for good reason. It’s a unique approach to showcasing Pokemon, one that really shows off the artist’s skill in another medium. Personally, I’d love to collect all of the crochet, clay, and now embroidered cards. That means that this embroidered Nidoran from tayu is at the top of my chase list for Delta Reign when it arrives in the States in November.
Which cards from the Storm Emeralda list have caught your eye? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
